Brief Description: Copy of an old print of Huntley & Palmers factory in Reading

Subject Date: Around 1850

Full Description: This print shows the interior of the former silk factory, located between the canal and the River Kennet, that George Palmer purchased in 1846 for £1,800. The factory had a floor space of 5,000 square feet and was spread over an area of half an acre. From this point on, biscuits were produced in quantities that had never been seen before. The location had excellent transport links because of its proximity to the waterways, the railway and the London to Bristol road. The print shows the large steam engine that powered the new mechanised factory by turning the drive belts that in turn worked the conveyor belts and dough mixers and cutters. Despite the investment in machinery the new factory needed plenty of workers for every stage of the manufacturing packing processes.

Collection: Reading Museum Service

Place: Biscuit Factory, Reading, Berkshire

Dimensions: Height: 34.0cm, Width: 46.0cm

Subject: social history, trade <food mfr>, environment <buildings>, working life